Brake-staff.



No. 647,465. Patented Apr. I7, I900.

A. n. BELT.

BRAKE STAFF.

(Application filed Nov. 16, 1899.)

(No Model.)

rue nomus PETERS 0o, momma. WMNG ON. m c.

ITED STATES PATENT Prion.

ARTHUR R. BELT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BRAKE-STAFF.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 647,465, dated April 17,1900.

Application filed November 16, 1899. Serial No. 737,218. (No model.)

To all whom it Uta/y concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. BELT,- a citi- M zen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Brake-Staffs, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in brakestaffs; and itconsists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts more fullyset forth in the specification, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the platform of aflat-car having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an end view witha part of the car broken away. Fig. 3 is an end view showing thebrake-staff swung downward against the car-floor; Fig. 4: is a verticalsectional detail showing the manner in which the hand-wheel is appliedto the staff. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail showing the pivotalconnection between the two sections of the stafi and showing the normallocation of the ratchet-wheel and its hub extension or sleeve, thesection being taken in a plane parallel to the pivotal pin. Fig. 6 is aside elevation of the joint of the brake-staff and a sectional elevationof thesleeve or hub, the section being taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig.7 is a section on line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectionaldetail showing the manner of securing the chain-winding sleeve, thesection being taken through the middle of the sleeve; and Fig. 9 is across-section on line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

The object of my invention is to construct a brake-staff whose upperportion (or that extending above the floor of the car) can be swung orfold ed down against the car-floor in cases where the necessity arisesto have such projecting portion out of the way to make room for largepieces of freight. 0n fiat-cars this necessity becomes frequent, owingto the presence of such large pieces of freight as boilers and the like,to make room for which the entire brake-staff as now constructed must beremoved from its mountings. In my present invention this necessity isentirely obviated, the portion above the floor of the car beingpivotally connected to its lower extension, so as to enable the brakemanwhen occasion requires to fold or drop said portion against thecar-floor without disturbing any other part of the staff. The presentinvention contemplates other improvements, which in detail may bedescribed as follows:

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the platform of an ordinaryflat-car, on which the brake-staff is mounted. The brake-staff in thepresent instance is composed of a lower section 2 and an upper section2, pivotally coupled to the lower section at a suitable point above thecar-floor. The cross-section of the staff is square, (or polygonal,)excepting those parts, of course,which must necessarily be cylindricalto allow for the rotation of the stafisuch, for example, as the upperend of section 2, passing through the tubular guidebearing 3 in thecar-floor. Passed over the upper end of the section 2' is the squaresocket 4 of the hand-wheel 5, the top of the staff bearing against thebottom of the socket. The wheel is prevented from slipping ed by afastening screw or bolt 6. Passed over the lower square end of the staffis a chain-winding sleeve 7, held to the staff by a fastening screw orbolt 8, to which is also secured the inner end of the brake-chain 9, thelatter winding about the cylindrical peripheral surface of the sleeve.The latter when worn can be replaced bya new sleeve, thereby permittingthe retention of the brake-staff proper for an indefinite period.

As stated above, the two sections of the brake-staff are coupledtogether pivotally. The manner of accomplishing this is as follows: Theupper projecting portion of the section 2 (or that portion above thecylin drical enlargement 10 passing through the floor of the car) isprovided with a central tongue 11, which is embraced by the forked orgrooved lower end 12 of the section 2. The parts when assembled areconnected by a pin 13, passing, respectively, through the 'fork membersand through the center of the the tubular extension or hub 14, formingan integral part of the ratchet 15, when the latter occupies its lowestposition-that is, when it is in engagement with the pawl 16. The hub 14extends a suitable distance above the pivotal pin 13, (see Figs. 1, 2,and 5,) thereby preventing the swinging of the upper portion of thestait about the pin. The hub is held in place by the retaining bolt orscrew 17. When it is desirable to swing the upper portion of the stafidownward, the hub and ratchet are loosened and slipped a suitabledistance along the staff, allowing the latter to fold downward. (SeeFig. 3.) The handwheel under these circumstances can also, if necessary,be removed. The lower pivot or spindle 18 of the staff rests at the baseof a strap 19, secured to the timbers 20, as usual.

By making the stafi square (or polygonal) in cross-section a strongerstait results and the hand-Wheel and chain-winding sleeve can better beretained thereon than would be the case with a cylindrical staff.

It is apparent, of course, that the present construction can be alteredin many details without departing, from the spirit of my invention.

for securing said sleeve to the said lower sec tion, and abrake-chainadapted to wind about the said sleeve, the end of the chain beingsecured to said bolt, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR H. BELT.

Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, GEO. L. BELFRY.

over the lower end of the lower section, a bolt

